Sweet Delights
by Emotive Gothika
Summary: After the war, Harry Potter had seemingly disappeared. But five years later, when Draco Malfoy walks into a new bakery in Diagon Alley, he is surprised to see none other then the Golden Boy himself standing behind the counter. Slash HPDM.
1. Sweet Delights

**A/N:** Plot bunnies sure are a stubborn bunch… I don't know where this plot bunny came from, but writing it down seems like the way to go. Besides, I haven't written anything decent in ages… which really disappoints me. I'm close to shouting "what the hell is wrong with me?" and bashing my head against the wall…

**Warning:** OOCs, slash, slight language, alternative universe, EWE (because its ew… though the kids ain't :D), and anything else that I may have missed and you caught…

**Disclaimer:** Oh look at that, my birth certificate _doesn't_ say that my name is J. K. Rowling… I wonder what that means. *sarcasm*

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The bakery was just as cheerful on the inside as it was on the outside. The décor was of the softest colors of the rainbow, somehow able to mix together without looking too ridiculous or out of place, almost looking retro. The walls were the same, an ocean of colors spreading out in curling waves to match the décor. There was a sugary smell in the air, fully punctuating the fact that this was a bakery, and all the pastries in their display cases looked good enough to eat off of the floor.

In fact, if Draco wasn't a civilized member of society, he would've done just that.

The blond had been strolling down Diagon Alley, looking for a place to grab a bite to eat. He had finished his morning shift at the Apothecary and since he didn't want to be holed up in the shop with dozens of disgusting potions ingredients as company, he decided that eating out would be the best way to go. The Leaky Cauldron would be too crowded at this time and so will Florean Fortesque's, so he walked further down the Alley to see if there were any other places to get a meal.

That was when he came upon a little bakery near the end of the alley. The sign above christened the shop as Sweet Delights and there were little cartoon pastries surrounding the two words. The windows displayed several cakes, both frosted and with fondant, and there was a sign on the door that signified that the shop was open. Feeling his sweet tooth tingle, Draco did not hesitate to step into the shop and he was delighted to be blasted with cool air and the scent of pastries.

After sweeping his eyes over the décor, Draco looked at the display cases and felt his mouth water. There were whole cakes there just waiting to be sliced and eaten, cream puffs standing proudly, cookies in racks, bread that was still hot from the oven, and so much more sweet delicacies that Draco did not know where to start. There was even a rack of candies on the counter holding both magical and Muggle sweets and Draco felt himself eyeing the chocolate bars there.

No one was manning the register, but Draco could hear music playing softly behind the door that led to the back and presumably the kitchen. He took his time looking over the displayed sweets until he couldn't take it any more and he reached out to tap the service bell that was sitting next to the register… twice.

"I'll be right with you!" cried a voice from the back and the music ceased playing. There was a slight clamor from the back and Draco snorted a little and rolled his eyes, thinking about incompetent employees. But he was soon cut off from his thoughts when the beads that hung from the doorframe were pushed aside with a clatter and a tall, dark-haired man stepped into the shop. Normally Draco wouldn't even think about a man that was only manning a little bakery but this one was different.

The man stood a couple inches taller then Draco and was obviously an active man considering how his slim muscles showed through the deep green shirt and white apron that donned the name of the bakery. His jet-black hair was long, just brushing along his shoulders, and it was tightly tied at the back of his head with his long bangs covering his forehead. Perched on his nose were fashionable black thick-rimmed rectangular glasses and they hid a pair of bright green eyes that had widened at the sight of Draco.

Draco's own grey pair widened as well for even with the changes bestowed upon the other man, he could still very much recognize Harry Potter.

An awkward silence hung between the two until Harry blinked and shook his head slightly, as if to snap himself out of his stupor. Then, putting on a professional smile, he said to Draco, "Welcome to Sweet Delights, how may I help you?" and he waited patiently for the answer.

Draco himself had a tougher time coming back to his senses for dozens of questions flew through his mind like they were being shot out of a cannon. Last he heard about Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, the (rightfully) proclaimed Chosen One, was that he had left the country to travel. And that was about five years ago, soon after the Final Battle against Voldemort at Hogwarts. No one had heard about him since and though he wasn't actually forgotten, there were other (lesser) topics to rave about.

"Mal- Sir?" Harry said, catching himself before saying Draco's surname. It seemed he wanted to be strictly professional about this little meeting. After all, he was the employee and Draco was a customer and he didn't want anything to ruin his new business, even if it meant being polite to his school rival.

Draco visibly composed himself and frowned a little at Harry's inquiry. "Please don't do that Potter," he said with the slightest hint of a grimace on his face. "It's weird that you have such a professional air around you, especially towards me. Just… be your usual self. I won't do anything to ruin your business if that's what you're thinking."

Harry blinked owlishly at him, and then an amused smile worked its way onto his lips. "If you say so Malfoy," he said, his voice discarding its professional tone and sounding much lower then Draco had thought. "But the question still stands; how may I help you?"

The blond cleared his throat and shifted his footing a little. "Yes, well," he began, suddenly feeling nervous because in all honestly, he didn't know how to act around his rival after five years of not seeing him and especially after the war. "I just came here for lunch and I can't seem to decide what to eat because everything looks delicious." Harry's smile widened at that and Draco mentally berated himself for complimenting Harry.

"Would you like me to recommend you some cakes?" Harry asked, his eyes dancing with mirth and that smile never leaving his face.

Draco felt his face go hot but he furiously willed it to cool down. He did not want to look like an idiot in front of his rival. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Not at all."

Harry then moved from the register to the display case that housed about ten different cakes, each looking more delicious then the last under the warm light that engulfed them. Draco moved with him, standing in front of the display and waiting for Harry to acquaint him with the pastries. The latter proceeded to name each cake and tell him of the mix of flavors and what toppings there were and the filling and whatnot. Draco listened attentively, admitting that they all looked delicious but he wasn't inclined to take a slice of one or the other. But that changed with the last cake that Harry pointed out.

"And this is admittedly my favorite; the Triple Chocolate Cake," the dark-haired man said, waving a hand at the handsomely brown cake. "Two layers of chocolate cake with dark-chocolate filling, semi-sweet chocolate frosting and chocolate chips to top it off." Harry then chuckled a bit. "I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a chocoholic."

Draco hummed in interest, his eyes still on the cake. "Then I think I'll take a slice of that one," he said, finally having made his decision. "Also a couple of your sugar cookies."

"Sure thing," Harry said with another smile that somewhat irritated Draco. "Would you like that for here or to go?"

The blond initially wanted to eat in the little bakery (there were three tables and a couple chairs for those who wanted to eat inside) but after seeing that Harry was the one that no doubt owned the shop he had quickly changed his mind. "To go please," he said before turning to eye the candy bars.

Once Harry had placed a slice of cake into a plastic container and the cookies into a small bag of confectionery paper (both tied with green ribbon lined with silver), Draco turned to him and pointed at the chocolate bars. "Are these Muggle sweets Potter?" he asked.

Harry looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah, thought it'll be okay for witchards to have a taste of Muggle sweets for once. They might not be magical, but they're good all the same."

Draco managed to rein his sneer and instead, asked another question. "Witchards?"

At this, Harry laughed and Draco was nearly taken aback. Harry never laughed around him unless it was to his humiliation. "It's a combination of witch and wizard. I picked up some terms on my travels and they're sorta stuck on me."

Draco hummed again and, pushing aside his disdain for Muggles, he grabbed two chocolate bars with the name Snickers and Hershey and placed them on the counter. If Harry was surprised that Draco Malfoy, of all wizards, would buy something Muggle made, he didn't show it and proceeded to ring up the blond's purchases. Draco silently handed over his money, but he was surprised when Harry only took half and handed the rest back.

"What're you doing Potter?" the blond asked, looking incredulous.

"Fifty percent off for those I know from Hogwarts," Harry smiled. "But that's only for the first time. Next time you buy something, it'll have to be full price."

Draco didn't cease looking incredulously at Harry, but he nodded his thanks anyway and took his purchases before turning towards the door.

"Thank you and please come again!" were the words Draco heard as he left the shop.

Draco only hurried along. Harry's attitude slightly freaked him out so he didn't think he'd be coming back to the bakery any time soon.

But he'll soon learn that his curiosity was going to get the better of him...

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**A/N:** So… please leave a review? This is my first Harry Potter fic and I've wanted to write some Drarry for ages! And even though I feel that it's a little meh and rushed, I'll leave it like this. Hope you liked reading it and again, please review! X3


	2. Salem

**A/N:** Haha, I was so happy with all the positive reviews! I just knew everyone will love it, though I'm guessing it was mostly because of the cakes and mentions of sweets. XP

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The next day, Draco was busy organizing potions ingredients on the shelves. He _was_ a bit of a neat freak and he arranged everything by catergory (plants, animal parts, essences, etc.) and then by alphabetical order. It was a wonder that the Apothecary was able to function in their own organized mess before Draco arrived.

Of course, it would be a shock for anyone who knew the Malfoy heir in school (or just knew him in general) to see him working in a shop in Diagon Alley. It wasn't that he was forced to. Despite having a bit of the Malfoy wealth being sent off to the Ministry for compensation after being cleared of all charges (courtesy of the one and only Golden Boy, of course) the Malfoys still had substantial gold in their vaults. Nevertheless, after what he had experienced in the war, Draco did not want to sit in idle luxury for the rest of his life. He actually wanted to work, actually wanted to change his life a little bit, and actually wanted to be a more honest person because not being one landed him in such a terrible and traumatizing position. Granted that not everyone wanted to hire an ex-Death Eater and he was lucky to land a job in the Apothecary, but it was better than nothing. It was definitely better than being holed up in Malfoy Manor where there were as many bad memories as good ones.

And Draco had to admit, despite all the idiots he had come across working in the shop, it was very interesting to observe the customers. And despite them looking more then a bit wary around him, the looks on their faces when he had successfully helped them in whatever they needed was enough for him to get through the day.

The cuckoo-clock hanging on the wall chimed (or rather cuckooed) twelve noon and Draco hurriedly finished adding the last jar of poison ivy leaves onto the shelf. That was the signal for lunch and he stepped behind the counter and entered the back room where he found Morgan Sinclair, the French niece of the owner of the Apothecary and also the manager of said shop, sitting behind the office desk with a couple papers in hand.

"Lunch Morgan?" Draco asked.

"_Oui_," she said as she set aside her papers and removed her glasses. "Vould you go to zat bakery you went to the ozzer day? I 'ave taken a shine to ze cake and cookiez you brought."

Draco couldn't keep the scowl off of his face. "Why would you want anything to eat from that blasted place?" he said rather heatedly. At Morgan's raised eyebrow and questioning look, Draco sighed.

"And vot vould make you feel zo vehement against an innozent bakery?" Morgan asked, placing Draco with a piercing look.

The blond sighed again and shrugged as he muttered, "The owner is none other then Harry bloody Potter."

A look of understand mixed with awe appeared on the older woman's face. "Ah, zo zat's eet," she said, nodding. "Even after clearink your name and keepink you out of prizon, you ztill 'ave zese feelinks of 'ate for ze savior of our vorld?"

"It's not that," Draco denied, feeling a little irritated. "I don't exactly hate him like I did as a kid." He had to admit that at least. Harry saved the world after all and he saved the Malfoys from a lifetime in Azakaban. Surely that commanded a hint of respect from the blond. "It's just… I can't face him like this after all I've done to him and after all he's done for me and my family. And when I went into the bakery yesterday he was just so… polite and kept smiling too damn bloody much! It's unnerving!"

Morgan nodded again. "I zee," she said thoughtfully. "But regardlezz of your feelinks, you are goink back to that bakery and gettink me a zlice of zat cake. And maybe a couple chocolate chip cookiez vhile you're at eet." She placed a few galleons on the desk in front of her and made shooing motions at a rather affronted-looking Draco. "Now chop chop! Lunch only lastz zo long."

Holding back the exasperated sigh that was threatening to escape his lips, Draco grabbed the coins and left the shop, joining the sparse crowd in the Alley. He stalled a bit by looking at the window displays of the shops he passed, but nothing really registered in his mind except that he was going to see Harry Potter again. Harry bloody Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Annoy him, the Chosen One who now owns and runs a quaint little bakery in Diagon Alley.

Was there anything else wrong with that picture?

Sighing and finally admitting that stalling was not the best way to go (besides, Morgan would have his head if he took any longer than fifteen minutes) Draco quickened his steps (though not too much that he'd looked flushed) and he was finally in front of Sweet Delights with its cake displays on the windows and childish-looking sign. Steeling himself and taking a deep, calming breath, Draco pushed his way into the shop and stopped at the sight of a cat lying on the counter next to the register.

And it wasn't just any cat. It was a completely black cat, its smooth fur shining almost blue in the lighting. When the door closed softly behind Draco, the cat opened its eyes and lifted its head to look at the blond, who gasped softly at the cat's emerald green eyes. It made Draco wonder if this was actually Harry's animagus form. It was possible that he retrieved lessons, right?

The cat meowed, its eyes still locked on Draco's profile. The blond then noticed that it wore a collar around its neck, a blue one with a silver tag dangling from it and he knew that this couldn't be Harry if it was wearing a collar. And sure enough, when the feline meowed louder, there was a slight clamor from the back of the shop and Harry appeared in a clatter of beads, looking a bit sweaty and his hands and right cheek covered in some sort of white powder.

"What is it Salem?" Harry asked, his eyes on the black cat (presumably named Salem) but barely half a second later he noticed Draco, who looked torn between looking disgusted or amused at his image. "Oh, Malfoy, you're back," he said with that smile that irritated Draco. "And I see you've met Salem."

As if to accentuate Harry's words, the feline meowed, maybe in greeting, and it sat regally on the counter, its tail swishing back and forth gracefully behind it. Harry only rolled his eyes and reached out to scratch it behind its ears. "Yes, yes, we know you're beautiful you narcissist," he chuckled.

Draco found himself swallowing thickly at the sight before him though he wasn't sure why. It definitely couldn't be because of he thought that Harry freakin' Potter smiling fondly as he scratched his cat's ears was a very peaceful (if not outright adorable) picture. Nope, that can't be it.

"So," Harry spoke up suddenly, very nearly making Draco jump. "What can I get for you today Malfoy?"

Mentally shaking his head, Draco glanced at the display case and saw that there was still half of the Triple Chocolate Cake left, but he didn't feel like eating that cake today. He scanned the rows of cakes and his grey eyes landed upon the Blueberry Cheesecake that was only missing one slice. Yes, sweet cheesecake with the tang of blueberry. He could practically taste it.

"A slice of the Triple Chocolate Cake and a slice of Blueberry Cheesecake please," he said, stepping in front of the counter. "And a couple chocolate chip cookies as well."

"Coming right up," Harry said cheerfully as he went off to the side to get the treats.

This left Draco sort of alone with Salem the cat, who was looking at him with those large, green, cat eyes. They looked all-knowing, wise, and frightfully unemotional. It was like nothing can perturb a cat and Draco was feeling quite envious about it. Unable to resist that shine of fur, he reached up and petted the feline, running his hand down its back and feeling its body vibrate beneath his fingertips.

"When did you get a cat Potter?" he asked before he caught himself. He inwardly cursed at himself for actually being the one to start a conversation.

"A few years ago," Harry said flippantly as he packaged the cakes, somehow knowing that Draco wasn't going to eat here today as well. "She was a birthday gift from a friend."

"Let me guess," Draco drawled, unable to stop himself from continuing the conversation. "This friend of yours is someone you met on your travels."

"Bingo."

As Draco snorted, Harry quickly tied ribbon (a lavender one this time) around the plastic cake containers and the bag of cookies and then pushed them towards the blond before ringing up the purchases. When he lifted a hand to wipe the white powder from his cheek, Draco decided to call attention to that.

"Why are you covered in flour?" he asked in a drawl that made him sound bored.

Harry flashed him a quick smirk. "It's not flour, its powdered sugar," he said. "And I was making fondant for a cake that I plan on surprising Ron with. His birthday's coming up and I'm making the occasion a little extra special."

Draco sneered a little. "So the Weasel's turning another year older eh?" Harry's emerald gaze flickered to him and something flashed in them that made Draco instantly regret opening his mouth.

"Yes," Harry said simply, not calling attention to Draco's attitude.

Sighing a little, Draco let the conversation drop as he took out the few galleons that Morgan gave to him and handed them to Harry, who took them and gave him back his change. Salem meowed, her eyes still locked on the blond who couldn't resist reaching out to pet her once again. A little smile appeared on Harry's lips and Draco felt a warm, fluffy feeling erupt in his stomach which he immediately wanted stomp into the dirt.

"Thank you and please come again," Harry said, putting on his professional smile and Draco held back a gasp when he witnessed those green eyes glitter. And if he didn't know any better, the air began to shimmer around the brunet as well. Or he could be hallucinating…

"I will…" was all he said as he turned and exited the bakery.

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A/N:** Well, that was… kinda boring. I wanted to add another scene, but my mind drew up a blank. I already put this story off for so long that I felt that I really should post something. So here it is… The next chapter will be longer, I promise, and it will probably get the proverbial ball rolling. I have big plans for this story (scenarios just kept popping up like a plague) but I'm not one who will update regularly. I still hope there will be many reviews and fans! But I'm rambling now so… drop a review and anticipate the next chapter yeah? Ja ne!


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